The Indianapolis News from Indianapolis, Indiana • 1

ruts' ANm 1 500 Starter Also An Artist 'Hr'i' .1 1 i 1 Pat Vidan, chief starter for the Indianapolis 500, likes working with charcoal pencil almost as much as waving the racing flag at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He likes to sketch racing personalities and frequently uses pencil and sketch pad to illustrate talks he gives before various groups throughout the Midwest. Vidan, who operates a Westside health spa, has been chief starter at the Speedway since 1962. The NEWS Photos, Tim Halcomb. gov- hQ iiv THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS mm -mm KEEP SMILIN' Fair, cooler tonight, -low in the low 50s; tomorrow sunny, warmer, high near 80.

Page 67. 105th YEAR "Where the Spirit of the Lord There 1 Liberty." Cor. 3-17 THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 23, 1 974 4 U.S. Embassy Workers Fired After Years Of Graft p' 'False Purchase Orders And Kickbacks' By RICHARD C. LONGWORTH BRUSSELS (UPI) The U.S.

State Department has uncovered years of embezzlement inside the American Embassy in Belgium and has fired the two foreign employes behind the graft, an embassy spokesman said today. American sources said two other men an accountant who covered up for the ringleaders and a temporary employe also have been fired in the scandal. The scandal was said to be the biggest in any U.S. Embassy to come to light during the Nixon administration. The embassy spokesman told United Press International that the two ringleaders "diverted an estimated $41,000 in goods and services to themselves" between 1967 and 1973.

But embassy records go back only 1967 and the sources said the two homes. The spokesman said the two men carried out the swindle through 'false purchase orders, kickbacks from suppliers and inflated prices." The tipoff came in an audit of suppliers that showed illegal payments. The embassy "found reason to suspect that several locally hired people were involved in irregularities for their personal profit," the spokesman said. A special State Department team then carried out a complete check of books and records. This showed the loss and the source.

The matter will be probed in departmental hearings opening soon in Washington, the spokesman said. But, he said, the embassy's purchasing and accounting practices already have been tightened up because of the thefts. Rains Delay Corn Planting Snack Time DETROIT Patrolman Gary Grange leans from the saddle to talk by telephone from a call box to police headquarters in Detroit. His horse, Saber, taking advantage of the moment, grabs a bite to eat. AP.

vor HOME EDITION I cc St Per Wee 3 Carrlw Dilixred State Department rules say employes' pensions can be revoked only in security cases. But the sources said the Washington hearings will decide if another rule, which allows the government to recover "provable losses" by deducting money from pensions of dishonest employes, will be invoked. The decision not to prosecute the two ringleaders fell in line with standard practice by all embassies American and others to avoid court cases. Such foreign trials are said to damage U.S. prestige and influence.

Both men, however, waived their right to protest their firing, the spokesman said. The two served in the General Services Department of the embassy administration section. The section also services the U.S. missions to the European Common Market and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Despite the NATO connection, there was no suspicion of espionage, the embassy spokesman said.

season hybrid varieties to reach logical maturity, he said, is from 120 to 135 days; midseason varieties, 110 to 120 days, and shorter season hybrids, 95 to 105 or 110 days. "We're hoping the front that's moving in will clear this stuff out of here. If we get continuous rains from here to June 1, we may have to look at this thing very, very critically," he said. Corn has been the major revenue producing crop for Indiana for many years and last year the crop was worth almost $1.3 billion. It was surpassed by soybeans as the No.

1 moneymaker, however, in 1973 for the first time in Indiana This was due to a substantial price increase for soybeans over corn, due to a strong foreign demand for soybean oil products, according to Robert Cole, of the Purdue Federal-state agricultural statisticians' office. Speedway suit continues. tmAi ,) TI tmm Tilt NEWS fMI, Jim NMctmk Bowen Denies Slating Rumors By FRANK SALZARULO While race car owners and the Speedway fussed in court today over preliminaries for Sunday's 500-Mile Race, farmers across Indiana fretted over weather conditions affecting preliminaries for getting out a corn crop. Heavy rains in many areas of the state have made fields too muddy for heavy equipment used by farmers to plow and plant corn. And if the rains persist beyond Sunday, there could be some shifting down on the farm a shift in the kind of hybrid seed corn to plant or a shift to soybeans or milo maize.

Rains are not only delaying plowing and planting of com ground, but also have caused severe flooding in some fields where corn already is planted. A recent report from Earl Park, Federal-slate agricultural statistician at Purdue University, showed that as of last Friday, corn planting was 40 per Into A Predicament' Reiss said yield begins to decline on an average of a bushel a day for each day of delay in planting from May 10 to 20; two bushels a day for each day of delay from May 20 to May 30. This decline is for full-season hybrid variety seed. There is some lessening effect as farmers switch to midseason or earlier-season seed varieties. Normally in Central Indiana, Reiss said farmers can plant corn up to about June 10, "although they'll take some pretty severe i s.

In Southern Indiana, they can plant as late as July 1 although reduction in yield is pretty severe." The normal growing season for full men employes for 20 years or more were suspected of taking $300,000 altogether. The sources said Washington canceled promotions for two U.S. diplomats here because of the scandal, not because they had any part in the thefts but because they were held responsible for the misdeeds of subordinates. The embassy declined to name the dismissed employes. Neither of the two ringleaders will be prosecuted, and both will get U.S.

government pensions normally paid foreign employes of embassies, the spokesman said. The loss could be deducted from the pensions. The two worked in the embassy's administration section. It buys supplies for the embassy and for diplomats' 'We Could Be Getting cent complete statewide and corn planting 25 to 30 per cent in the north, 30 to 69 per cent in central counties and 45 to 55 per cent in the south. But the weather outlook is not bright for farmers.

Dr. W. D. Reiss. Purdue extension agronomist, said, "We could be getting into a predicament." Reiss said, "A high pressure system is supposed to come in here and clear this stuff out.

If it does, and it clears off, there's a possibility that by Monday farmers can get back in the fields again." Of concern to agronomists and farmers is that the longer the delay in corn planting, the lower the yield. A Frown In Town The extended weather outlook calls for partly cloudy conditions Saturday when the "500" Festival Parade will be held and a chance of showers Sunday and Monday. No percentages for chance of rain for race day will be available until Saturday, the National Weather Service said. Skies should shine bright again tomorrow after an overnight low in the low 50s. Tomorrow's high should be near 80, the weather service said.

said preparation of the car cost him about The hearing before Symmes began yesterday. At the start of today's court session, CSAC attorney Henry ltder filed a motion, seeking dismissal of the suit on the grounds that the car owners who filed it failed to exhaust "their administrative remedies" by appealing to I'SAC an adverse decision by race steward Thomas W. Hinford. The decision disallowed a protest by the owners against ending qualifications. Ryder called the suit a "charade" and urged the judge to dismiss it at once.

"It's a nice day for racing at the Speedway," Ryder noted, "carburetion tests are scheduled for this afternoon. Let's get on with the race." TablKMt objected vigorously to the characterization of the suit as a "cha More Time Was Word: Car Owner By EDWARD ZIEGNER Political Editor Gov. Otis It. Bowen met yesterday with five advisers regarding candidates for nominations in the June 21 Republican State Convention, but today denied rumors of any tickets of slated candidates being drawn up. "Those reports are 1,000 per cent wrong," Bowen said.

"Obviously, we talked of the convention. I insist on it being an open convention." Meeting with the governor were National Committeeman Keith Bulen; GOP State Chairman Thomas S. Milligan; Indianapolis attorney J. B. King; Gerald Olsen, Columbus, a Bowen adviser, and Clarence Long, Indianapolis, a longtime friend of Bowen and an adviser.

Rumors were the slated candidates would be Indianapolis Mayor Richard Lugar for U.S. senator; William Allen of Jeffersonvillc for secretary of state; Michigan City Mayor Randy Miller for treasurer, and Jean Merritt, Indianapolis, for auditor. Only Allen is opposed, by Michael Packard, deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. There are unconfirmed reports that P.ulen met with Packard Saturday at Kokomo, urged him to drop down to the race for treasurer against Miller, and that Packard initially agreed, then changed his mind. In the race for secretary of stale, the governor said: "I may have a personal choice, but I am not going to state it publicly.

Both (Allen and Packard) arc fine rade" and pledged to continue his ef- Tabbert said yesterday he has sub-fort to get the car ow ners their day in penaed 47 witnesses for the hearing, court. three of whom testified yesterday: An-Svmmes put the motion for dismiss- 'on Hulman president of the Indi-al aside, saying he would rule on it anapolis Motor Speedway Corp. Joseph later after he checked into the law. onlinued on I'age It gentlemen, and either would fulfill the office well." Milligan, who also confirmed the meeting, said, "Candidates were talked about, but there was no action." He said he had not discussed with Packard either his switching to the race for for treasurer or dropping out completely. "I haven't talked to him, and no one has talked to him at my behest," Milligan said.

"Certain county chairmen mav have talked to him." Bowen praised Miller, one of his strong supporters for governor, made it clear he isn't endorsing Miller or any other candidate. One source said the group which met wants Packard to get out completely, with the treasurer nomination going to Miller, but Bowen and Milligan said this is not true. Milligan added, "The races were all discussed (at yesterday's meeting) and the decision made it was to remain an open convention. No one was told to '-Jo It will be an open convention except for Lugar, and I have never made any bones about Lugar for senator." Milligan has consistently said Lugar, who is unopposed, would make the best candidate to oppose Democratic U.S. Sen.

Birch Bayh. Bowen, after his nomination for governor in 1972, refused to intervene in the dispute over the nomination for lieutenant governor. Robert Orr, Evansville, was and elected with Bowen, although Bowen 's close friend and longtime supporter, Stale Rep. John Hart, was in the race, also. The Law And The Town Of Eaton Page 33 Watergate Stories Pages 2-8-9 Evaluation Of School Programs Page 27 The New Zip Code 16208 Crime Alert (Emergency) By JOE JARVIS An Indianapolis race car owner-builder testified today that word "was passed up and down" the pit area at the Speedway last Sunday afternoon that additional time would be allowed for qualifying for Sunday's 500-Mile Race.

Eldon liasmussen, one of five car owners seeking through court action to reopen qualifications, said this word caused him to be unconcerned when Car 94, driven by rookie Johnny Parsons, was pushed to the starting line for a second qualifying attempt. "I didn't believe that 94's second attempt would cut off the qualifying line," liasmussen told Judge Frank A. Symmes Jr. of Superior Court 4. "I relied on the word that had been passed.

Had I known then what would subsequently occur (qualifications ended at 6 p.m. as scheduled, 20 minutes after Car 94 started its qualifying run), there would have been no way 94 could have gotten in front of me." liasmussen was the first witness called today by attorney Don A. Tabbed, representing the car owners who have filed a suit against the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the United States Auto Club. The suit seeks an order granting additional qualification time for those cars that have not had at least one attempt to qualify and $1 million in damages. Although he has been assooeiated with racing at the Speedway for nine years as a mechanic, this is the first lime Rasmussen has entered a car.

lie Inside The News Today Pages Amusements 3(1-38 Bridge llusinesR .52 Comics 30 Editorials 10 Garden 21 Health SI Pages 22-21 Obituaries Picture Page Sports TV Itiiillo Want Ads Women 28 15 53-87 1720 The NEWS Plume Numbers Main Office 633-1210 Wnl Ails 833-121 Circulation 633-9211 "Ha MlHl Courtroom scene today as.